(FILE PHOTO) The former Leeds United, Stevenage and United States midfielder has revealed that he is gay and will be stepping away from football. SEATTLE - JULY 04: Robbie Rogers #7 of USA looks on before the 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup game against Grenada on July 4, 2009 at Qwest Field in Seattle, Washington. (Photo by Otto Greule Jr/Getty Images)

Photo: Otto Greule Jr, Getty Images

(FILE PHOTO) The former Leeds United, Stevenage and United States...

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Atlanta Falcons' Tony Gonzalez walks off the field after being defeated by the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL football NFC Championship game Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, in Atlanta. The 49ers won 28-24 to advance to Super Bowl XLVII. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)

The U.S. men's national team forward came out as gay in a blog post and said he is retiring from soccer. Rogers, 25, most recently played for Stevenage in the third tier of English soccer, on loan from Leeds. "I always thought I could hide this secret," Rogers wrote. "Football was my escape, my purpose, my identity. Football hid my secret, gave me more joy than I could have ever imagined. ... I will never forget the friends I have made along the way and the friends that supported me once they knew my secret." Rogers, who also played for the Columbus Crew, wrote that he intends to "discover himself away from football."

Tony Gonzalez

Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said the former Cal football and basketball player hasn't officially retired. "Tony has done so much for us on and off the field, and I don't believe, not stating that he would be lying to anyone, but I don't believe the 95 percent" estimated chance of retirement, Dimitroff told ProFootballTalk.com. "I want to believe it's a lot closer to 50/50. ... Ultimately it's up to Tony to decide if he wants to come back and potentially catch 100 balls again." Gonzalez said last season probably would be his last. In the 2012 regular season and playoffs, he had 107 catches for 1,059 yards and 10 touchdowns.